| Summary: |
The purpose of this textbook is threefold. First, it is to challenge the widely accepted view of conflict as a negative force that should be avoided or suppressed at all costs. In place of this view, we promote the ideaa that conflict is a universal experience arising partly from our need, as people, to fashion new, shared meaning in fulfilling our aspirations. We look closely at conflict--its causes, its functioniong, its phases, and its various types. To intervene successfully in conflict situations, you must be able to identify the kind of conflict you are facing and understand its causes. Second, this textbook seeks to point out that how we approach conflict is crucial to whether and how it is resolved. Our choice of approach is often a consequence of our social and cultural conditioning--to some extent, it is not a "choice" at all. Many of us automatically take an adversarial approach to conflict. A primary aim of this textbook is to make people aware that there is a deep difference between contending for results and cooperating in the crafting of results. Third, this textbook has a practical purpose. To support our analysis of conflict and the processes surrounding it, we offer students questions for discussion as well as role-playing exercises that will equip them with the skills they need to intervene successfully in conflict situations. Our hope is that through practice of this kind, users of this text will learn to address conflict in a positive way and to move themsleves and others to a mutual understanding of a given conflict's underlying interests and needs. This knowledge will help them produce, whether for themselves or for others, win-win results for all concerned. |
Book
